Vecrīga ("Old Riga") is the historical center and a neighbourhood (as Vecpilsēta) of

Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...

, Latvia, located in the Central District on the east side of Daugava River. Vecrīga is famous for its old churches and cathedrals, such as Riga Cathedral, St. James's Cathedral and St. Peter's Church.

History

Vecrīga is the original area of Riga and consists of the historic city limits before the city was greatly expanded in the late 19th century. Vecrīga was once protected by a surrounding wall, except the side adjacent to the Daugava river bank. When the wall was demolished, the waters from Daugava were diverted into area of the former wall, creating Riga City Canal.

Heritage

In the early 1990s, Vecrīga's streets were closed to traffic and only residents of the area and the local delivery vehicles were allowed within Vecrīga's limits with special permits. Vecrīga is part of a

UNESCO World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

listed as "Historic Centre of Riga", which also includes most of the surrounding Centrs district. Vecrīga is the oldest part of the Riga, and—even though in its primordial state most of the buildings were made of wood—currently, there are a lot of architectural works remaining from the times of

renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

and medieval times in the middle of the unique and notable buildings in the style of

Art Nouveau Art Nouveau ( ; ; ), Jugendstil and Sezessionstil in German, is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. It was often inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants and ...

, especially the ones created by the locally and internationally well-known architect Mikhail Eisenstein.

Landmarks

Churches

* Church of St. Peter * Dome Cathedral * Cathedral of Saint James * Church of Saint John * Church of Our Lady of Sorrows *

Anglican Church Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

* Reformed Church * Church of Mary Magdalene

Museums

* Military Museum * Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation * Sports Museum * Latvian Museum of Pharmacy * Latvian Museum of Photography * Riga castle * Latvian Museum of National History * Art Museum Riga Bourse * Museum of Decorative and Applied Arts * Museum of the Occupation of Latvia * Latvian Museum of Architecture * Riga Film Museum * Museum of the Popular Front

Gallery

File:Riga map around 1637.jpg, The original boundaries of the Old Riga in 1637 File:Riga johanneskirche 133731389.jpg, St. John's Church, Riga File:Plaza del Ayuntamiento, Riga, Letonia, 2012-08-07, DD 10.JPG, The House of the Blackheads and Roland statue File:Barracas de Jacob, Riga, Letonia, 2012-08-07, DD 01.JPG, Reconstructed section of the medieval city wall File:Riga Landmarks 62.jpg, Riga Castle in Vecrīga File:Old Riga Vecrīga Town Hall.jpg, Riga Town Hall in Vecrīga File:Výhled na Rigu (9).jpg, Aerial view of the Town Hall Square File:Historic Centre of Riga-112610.jpg, View of Vanšu Bridge File:La rue Alberta (Riga) (7581842090).jpg,

buildings at Albert Street.

References

External links

*
Multimedia virtual tour of Old Riga
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vecriga Neighbourhoods in Riga World Heritage Sites in Latvia